Wire-fence machine.



C; B: ANHNDSEN.

WIRE FENCE MACHiNE. APPLICATION FILED DEC-28. x912.

Patented Nov. 2%}, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEE1 I- C. B. ANFINDSEN.

WIRE FENCE MACHINE.

APPLlQATlON FILED DEC 28, 1911- 1,285,578} Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

3 SHEE'TS SHEET 2.

C. B. ANHNDSEN.

WIRE FENCE MACHINE.

APPLICATION mu) DEC.28, new.

1,285,578. Patented Nov. 26, 12MB.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3,

"UNTTED STATE PATENT @FFTQE.

CHRISTIAN B. ANFINDSEN, OF NORTH CHARLEROI, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO PITTSBURGH STEEL COMPANY, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- TION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

WIRE-FENCE MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 26, 1918.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHRISTIAN B. AN- FINDSEN, a subject of the King of Norway, and resident of North Charleroi, in the county of Washington and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Wire-Fence Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to wire-fence machines and more especially to machines known as the short or cut-stay type.

The object of my invention is to improve in certain ways the machines of this character heretofore employed so as to simplify and give greater efiiciency, as well as provide a fence which is strong and durable and in which the stay-wires are securely wrapped and held rigidly in position.

To these ends my invention comprises the novel features hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View; Fig. 2 is a front view more or less diagrammatic, showing the position of the strand-wires and stay-wires, and the supports and coilers; Fig. 3 is a partial plan view of the coilers and oscillating turntables showing the positionof the stay-wires with reference to the strand wires; Fig. 4c is a front view of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an enlarged view of a portion of a pair of turntables showing the stay-wire in process of being wound around the strand wire; Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 6-6, Fig. 3, showing the manner of feeding the stay-wire to the cutter, and the windingspindle and turntable; and Fig. 7 is a plan View of a portion of a wire fence made with my machine.

In the drawings, the numeral 1 is a driving-shaft driven by a pulley 1 from any suitable line-shaft. This shaft 1 drives the shaft 2 through pinion 3 and gear 4. The shaft 2, in turn, drives shaft 5 through intermeshing gears 6, 6"-, 6", of which the middle one, 6*, is mounted on a pin or stud 6. Shaft 5 drives the stay-wire feed-roll shaft 7 through the gears 8 and 9.

Shaft 1 also drives the shaft 10 through pinion 3 and gear 10"; and said shaft 10, in turn, drives the shaft 11 through gears 12 12*.

The shaft 11 drives the drum drivingshaft 13 through two sets of gears 12 14. and 15, 15 in order to give the drum two different speeds required for making a fence with different spaces between the stay-wires. The shaft 13 drives the drum through pinion 16 and gear 17.

The shaft 2 drives the shaft 18 through bevel-gears 19, 19 and said shaft 18 has mounted thereon the crank 20, which operates the pitman 21. This is connected to the arm 21 The arm 21 is connected by a link 22 with the rack 23, which drives twisters 24: through the small gears The rack 23 moves in a suitable guide23 and has a reciprocating motion therein, due to the operation of the arm 21.

The twisters 24 are hollow for the passage of the strand-wires and the head 24 of each twister has the twister-pins 24".

The camshaft 10 has two side cams 26, which operate the rocker-arm 27 provided with the roller 28 engaged between the earns 26. The rocker-arm 27 is pivoted on the cross-bar 29 and is connected to the rack 30 so that said rack is given a reciprocating movement by the movement of the rockers 27 back and forth by the action of the earns 26. The rack 30 through the small gears 31 oscillates the turntables 32 mounted to turn in the cross-bar 29. These turntables have transverse slots or grooves 32 formed therein for the reception of the cut stay-wires, all as fully hereinafter set forth. The ends of these transverse grooves are preferably flared, as at 32", to admit of the free entrance of the stay-wires, and the operation is suchas hereinafter set forth, that while one of the stay-wires in one groove is being wrapped around the strand-wires, the succeeding stay-wire is being delivered to the other groove and beneath the stay-wire which is being twisted.

The cam-shaft 10 has the cam 33, which engages a roller 34 on the rocker-arm 35 pivoted on the side frame at 35*, said rockerarm being connected by the rod 37 to the sliding cutter-bar 36. The cam 33 through the connections described moves the cutterbar 36 in one direction while cutting while the cam 38 on the shaft 2 through its engagement with the roller 39 at the lower end of the rocker-arm 35 moves the cutterbar in the opposite direction.

The cutter-bar 36 is laid to slide in bearings 40 on cross-bar 41, and said cutter-bar the stationary bracket 46 in an inclined po-' sition, a stationary knife 47 being mounted in said bracket.

The plates 68 are secured to the bracket 46 and said plates extend out in position to direct the stay-wires into the transverse grooves of the turntables 82.

Plates 69 are secured to the cross-bar 29, said plates acting to guide the inner ends of the stay-wires and prevent their coming out of the grooves in the turntables. The plates 68 and 69 also act to prevent the staywires from rising out of the grooves 32 when the tables 32 are turned and before the holders 80 come into action.

The holders or arms 80 are pivoted at 80 to the support 8O on the cross-bar 29, and the forward ends of said arms are normally held down by the spring 81. The action of these arms as fully hereinafter set forth is to hold the stay-wires down on the twister while being wrapped around the strandwires.

Gages or stops 7 9 are secured to the plates 69 to control the movement of the stay-wires and to prevent the cut-off end of the staywire from jumping forward while being out.

The bracket 46 has three grooved rollers 48 mounted therein on sliding bars 48. These rollers are adjustable by screws 49 as to give the stay-wire fed by feed-rolls 50 and 51 up through tube 52 the proper curve required to introduce the stay-wires into the grooves 1n the turntables 32.

The feed-rolls 50 are mounted on the shaft 7 and the rolls 51 are mounted on the holders 53. The feed-rolls 50 and 51 are geared up together by gears 50*. The holders 53 and the feed rolls 51 mounted thereon are held tight against the feed-rolls 50 by the cam-lever 54 pressing on the spring 55, said holders being pivoted at 56 to the frame. The pressure between the feed-rolls 50 and 51 is released by turning the cam-lever 54 permitting the spring to withdraw the holders.

A sliding bar 57 operated by the eccentric 58 on the shaft 5 has brackets 59 with adjusting screws 60, which engage the lower ends of the holders 53. By this construction, the pressure between the feed-rolls is automatically released and the feed of the stay-wires is stopped during the cutting operation, the eccentric being timed to operate to effect this result according, to the length of stay-wire to be cut.

Strand-wires 61 and stay-wires 62 come from suitable reels and pass up around the sheaves 63. The strand-wires continue up through the hollow twisters 24, over stationary rollers 64 and rollers 65 fastened on a swinging tension-bar 66, and up over roller 67 mounted on the pivot of the tensionbar 66.

Tension-bar 66 is operated by a crank 70 keyed to the shaft 11 connected with said tension-bar by the pitman 70 This is a well-known form of take-up device, which allows for the continuous movement of the crimping-drum 71, and yet provides for the stoppage of the strand-wires during the twisting operation, as will more fully hereinafter appear.

The crimping-drum 71 consists of a series of units, each unit comprising two stationary bars 71 with a movable bar 72 sliding between the same; but as said crimping-drum is a well-known construction, it has not been deemed necessary to illustrate the same in detail as it forms no part of my invention.

The finished fence after leaving the crimping-drum is wound up on a wind-up drum 76 driven through pulleys 77 and 78 from shaft 13.

The operation of my improved machine is as follows: The strand and stay-wires 61 and 62 both pass upwardly, the stay-Wires being arranged between the strand-wires. The stay-wires are fed by the rollers 50 and 51 up through the tubes 52 entering the grooved rollers 48, when they receive the curve required to enter the turntables 32. The plates 68 and 69 also help to guide the stay-wire in position. When the stay-wire has been advanced into position on the turntable, the feed of the stay-wires is temporarily stopped by the action of the eccentric 58 on the holders 53 carrying the feed-rolls 51. The movement of the holders 53 will act to release pressure between feed-rolls 5Q, 51, and the movement of the staywlre is temporarily stopped. Just at this time the cutter-bar 36 is moved to advance the cutters 4-4 and the staywires are cut,

Immediately upon the cutting of the stay- -wire. These strand-wiresare held temporarily at rest during this winding operation due to the fact that the tension-bar 66 moves forward and the slack in the strand-wire created by this movement of the tensionbar will permit the crimping-roll to rotate continuously. and while itjis taking up this slack, the strand-wires at the winding point will remain stationary until this slack has wires from lifting out of the grooves in the turn-tables, and consequently no difliculty arises due to such action. The arms 80, however, are permitted to yield upwardly as the winding operation takes place, and the ends of the adjoining stay-wires are interlocked and wrapped around the strand-wire, thereby lifting the stay-wire some, allowing the next stay-wire to be fed underneath the one being twisted, as clearly indicated in Fig. 5.

When the turntables are turned to bring the stay-wires into position for winding, the next stay-wires are being fed into the vacant grooves of said tables, and said staywires pass under the stay-wires which are being wound, as clearly indicated in Fig. 5. When the stay-wires have been twisted around the strand-wires by the action of the rack 30, the turntables are reversed, thus giving every other set of stay-wires the same position on the strand-wires, and the turning of the twisters is likewise reversed by the action of the rack-bar 23. The product of the machine, as illustrated in Fig. 7, is

a wire-fence or fabric in which the sections of one stay-wire are arranged in opposite position with reference to the strand-wires versely of the strand-wires, means for twist-- ing the ends of said cut-lengths around said i strand-wires, and means on said supports for supporting a second set of cut-lengths delivered thereto while the previously-delivered cut-lengths are being twisted around said strand-wires.

2. In a wire-fence machine, the combination with a suitable frame, of mechanism for feeding a plurality of strand-wires, means for feeding a plurality of stayevires, rotary supports for the forward ends of said staywires, means for cutting the stay-wires into lengths while supported on said supports, said supports having seats for two cutlengths intersecting each other, means for turning said supports whereby one set of stay-wires is brought into position transversely of the strand-wires while a second set of stay wires fed to the other seats,

and means for twisting the ends of the cutlengths around the strand-wires.

3. In a wire-fence machine, the combination with a suitable frame, of means for feeding a plurality of strand-wires, rotary supports for the forward ends of stay-Wires, said supports having grooves formed therein intersecting each other, means for delivering the forward ends of said stay-wires to said grooves alternately, means for cutting the stay-wires into lengths while supported in said supports, means for turning said sup ports whereby the cut-lengths are brought into position transversely of the strandwires, and means for twisting the ends of the cut lengths around said strand-wires.

4. Ina wire-fence machine, the combination with a suitable frame, of means for feeding a plurality of strand-wires, rotary supports for the forward ends of the staywires, said supports having grooves formed therein intersecting each other, means for curving the forward ends of said stay-wires, means for delivering the forward ends of said stay-wires to one set of said grooves, means for cutting the stay-wires into lengths, means for turning said supports whereby the stay-wires are brought into position transversely of said strand-wires, means for twisting the ends of said cutlengths around said strand-wires, and simul means for cuttingtheforward ends of the stay-wires into lengths, means for turning said supports whereby the cut-lengths are brought into position transversely of the strand-wires, means for twisting the ends of the cut-lengths around said strand-wires, and a second set of cut-lengths of said staywires being-delivered by said delivery means to the other set of grooves while the first set of cut-lengths of stay-wires are being twisted around said strand-wires.

6. In a wire-fence machine, the combination of a suitable frame, of means for feeding a plurality of strand-wires, rotary supports for the forward ends of the stay-wires, said supports having grooves formed therein intersecting each other, means for feeding the forward ends of said stay-wires to said grooves alternately, means for cutting the stay-wires into lengths, means for turning said supports whereby the cut-lengths are brought into position transversely of the strand-wires, means for twisting the ends of said cut-lengths around said strand-wires,

"and yielding holders for holding said outwires'alternately to said grooves, meansfor cutting the stay-wires into lengths, means for turning said supports whereby the out lengths are brought into- 7 position transversely of the strand-wires, means for holding said cut-lengths in said grooves during:

the turning movement of said supports, and means for twisting the ends of said cutlengths around said strand-wires.

8. In awire-fence machine, the combination with a suitable frame, of means for feeding a plurality of strand-wires, rotary supports for the forward ends of thestaywires, said supports having grooves formed therein intersecting each other, means for delivering the forward ends of said staywires alternately to said grooves, means for cutting the stay-wires into lengths, means for turning said supports whereby the cutlengths are brought into position transversely of the strand-wires, guard-plates for holding said stay-wires in said supports, and means for twisting the ends of said outlengths around said strand-wires.

9. In a wire-fence machine, the combination with a suitable frame, of means for feeding a plurality of strand-wires, rotarysupports for the forward ends of the staywires, said supports havlng 1ntersecting grooves formed therein, means for feeding Copies- 0f this patent may be obtained for the forward ends of the stay-wires alternately to said grooves, means for cutting the stay-wires into lengths while supported by said supports, a rack-bar, means for reciproeating said rack-bar and oonnect'ionsbetween said rack-bar and said supports whereby said supports are oscillated and said outlengths of said stay-wires brought in position transversely of the strand-wires, and

means for twisting the ends of the cutlengths around said strand-wires;

10. In a wire-fencemachine, the combination with a suitable frame, of means for feeding a plurality of strand-wires, rotary supports for the forward ends of the staywir'es', meansfor feeding the said stay-wires to saidsupports, means for twisting the ends of said stay 'wires around said strand-wires,

and" means on said supports for supporting asecond set of stay-wires delivered thereto while the previously-delivered stay-wires are" being twisted around said strand-wires, and means'for oscillating said supports whereby the" stay-wires are broughtinto positiontransversely of the strand-wires in the reverse position alternately with reference to said strand-wires.

11. In a wire fence" machine,-the combination with a suitable frame, of means for feeding a plurality of strand wires, means for delivering a plurality of stay wires transversely of said strand wires, means for reversing the position" of each successive set of stay wires with relation to the strand wires, and means for twisting the ends of said stay wires around said strand wires.

Intestimony whereof I, the said CHRIS- hand.

CHRISTIAN B. ANriNnsEN.

Witnesses:

Rom. D. Terran, JOHN F. WILL.

fivecents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington; D. CL 

